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Prevention of Communicable Disease: Anopheles

Prevention. The germ or parasite which causes malaria can be communicated to man only by the bite of the Anopheles mosquito. This species as shown in the illustration has a body which is placed parallel to and almost on the same plane with the front portions of the insect. Hence, when at rest on walls or other objects, the back portion sticks out almost or quite at right angles with the surface upon which it is resting. Observe that the back portion of the common mosquito forms an angle with the front part of its body. Hence both ends of the mosquito point toward the object upon which it rests. There are other differences that clearly differentiate the malarial from the common mosquito, but the one given serves to distinguish between them. The malarial mosquito is preëminently a house gnat. It is scarcely ever seen in the woods or open, but may be found oftentimes in great numbers in all malarial localities, lying quietly during the day in dark corners of rooms or stables. This mosquito practically never bites in the day, but will do so in a darkened room, if a person will remain perfectly quiet. Their favorite time for feeding is in the early part of the night and about daybreak. This accounts for the fact, long observed, that malarial fever is almost invariably contracted at night.